Posted by CN Staff on November 01, 2007 at 12:35:39 PT
Weekly Press Release
Source: NORML
NORML Leading Democrat Presidential Candidates Reject Call To Decriminalize Pot
November 1, 2007 - Philadelphia, PA, USA
Philadelphia, PA: Democrat Presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Barack Obama (D-IL), and former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) oppose federal marijuana decriminalization legislation that would ensure that Americans who use pot recreationally would no longer face arrest and imprisonment.
Appearing at this week’s Democrat Presidential debate at Drexel University, all three candidates indicated that they opposed decriminalizing the possession and use of marijuana for adults. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson – who approved statewide legislation earlier this year legalizing the use medicinal use of cannabis – also indicated his opposition to the enactment of broader decriminalization strategies.
The decriminalization question – which prior to Tuesday’s debate had not been discussed by the candidates in a public forum – was submitted to MSNBC moderator Tim Russert by members of the Philadelphia chapter of NORML.
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) both indicated that they backed decriminalizing pot. "We're locking up too many people in our system here today," Dodd said. "We've got mandatory minimum sentences that are filling our jails with people who don't belong there. My idea is to decriminalize [marijuana], reduce that problem here. We've gone from 800,000 to 2 million people in our penal institutions in this country."
Senator Dodd had previously stated that if elected President, "[He] would decriminalize … the statutes … that would incarcerate or severely penalize people for using marijuana." Representative Kucinich has said that he favors a national drug policy that treats adult marijuana use in a manner similar to alcohol.
Each of the leading Democrat candidates have gone on record to voice their support for respecting the will of states to enact medical marijuana legislation, though only Richardson, Kucinich, and former US Sen. Mike Gravel (D-AK) – who was not present in Tuesday’s debate – have said that they support legalizing cannabis for medicinal purposes.
For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500 or Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul@norml.org
Video of the candidates' exchange is available online at: youtube.com
Additional information on the Presidential candidates’ positions may be found online at:
sendtherightmessage.com or granitestaters.com
DL: norml.org
MR. RUSSERT: Senator Dodd, you went on the Bill Marr show last month and said that you were for decriminalizing marijuana. Is there anyone here who disagrees with Senator Dodd in decriminalization marijuana? Senator Biden?
SEN. BIDEN (?): (Inaudible.)
MR. RUSSERT: Senator Edwards? Why?
MR. EDWARDS: Because I think it sends the wrong signal to young people. And I think the president of the United States has a responsibility to ensure that we're sending the right signals to young people.
SEN. DODD: Can I respond, I mean just why I think it ought to be? We're locking up too many people in our system here today. We've got mandatory minimum sentences that are filling our jails with people who don't belong there. My idea is to decriminalize this, reduce that problem here. We've gone from 800,000 to 2 million people in our penal institutions in this country.
We've go to get a lot smarter about this issue than we are, and as president, I'd try and achieve that.
SEN. BIDEN (?): (Off mike.)
MR. WILLIAMS: Senator, Senator Biden, I introduce a new subject here. Christmas shopping season......
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